That's definitely good to hear - I suspect that as he gets more experience as a writer, he'll figure out how to better pace the emotional reveals from the beginning of a series as well.

While Fire and Hemlock is a controversial book, Polly's definitely one of DWJ's most fleshed-out and real heroines (and I say this as someone who loves all of DWJ's heroines.) I will also forever love her for the terrible melodramatic teenaged fanfiction alone.